Tokyo cops arrest 20 in raid of Kabukicho baccarat parlor

TOKYO (TR) – Tokyo Metropolitan Police on Tuesday announced the arrest of 20 employees and customers of a casino in Shinjuku Ward on charges of illegal gambling, reports Nippon News Network (Nov. 18).

On Sunday, police took Yoshimasa Tokita, the 69-year-old male manager of parlor Graff, located in the Kabukicho red-light district, and 12 employees, including dealers, for allowing customers to wager on baccarat.

Officers also arrested seven male and female customers who were present at the time of the raid.

In order to prevent a raid by police, the parlor did not utilize street touts. In order to be granted entry, new customers were required to receive an introduction and make a written statement saying that they were not organized crime members, according to TBS News (Nov. 18).

During the raid, officers seized a customer list that included 450 names.

According to police, Graff has collected approximately 360 million yen in revenue since it opened in November of last year.